Glass panel unit assembly, method for manufacturing glass panel unit, work in progress of glass panel unit, and glass panel unit

ABSTRACT

A glass panel unit assembly includes a pair of glass substrates arranged to face each other, a peripheral wall, a partition, an air passage, and an evacuation port. The peripheral wall has a frame shape and is provided between the pair of glass substrates. The partition partitions an internal space, surrounded with the pair of glass substrates and the peripheral wall, into a first space and a second space. The air passage connects the first space and the second space together. The evacuation port connects the second space to an external environment. The partition has a broader width than the peripheral wall.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to a glass panel unit assembly,a method for manufacturing a glass panel unit, a work in progress of aglass panel unit, and a glass panel unit. More particularly, the presentdisclosure relates to an assembly of thermally insulating glass panelunits each having a space between a pair of glass panels, a method formanufacturing such a glass panel unit, a work in progress of the glasspanel unit, and the glass panel unit.

BACKGROUND ART

Patent Literature 1 discloses a method for manufacturing a glass panelunit in which a vacuum space is created between a pair of glass panels.According to this manufacturing method, a first glass substrate and asecond glass substrate (a pair of glass substrates) are arranged to faceeach other with a frame member (peripheral wall) interposed betweenthem. Thereafter, the frame member is heated and melted, therebyhermetically bonding the first glass substrate and the second substratetogether. At this time, the internal space surrounded with the first andsecond glass substrates and the frame member is partitioned by apartition into a first space and a second space. The first space is thenevacuated through the second space to turn into a vacuum space.Thereafter, the vacuum space is sealed hermetically to obtain anassembly. A glass panel unit is obtained by cutting out a part of thisassembly.

In the glass panel unit of Patent Literature 1, when part of theassembly is cut out, the vacuum space could happen to be connected tothe external environment to possibly cause a decrease in the degree ofvacuum.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

Patent Literature 1: JP 2016-108799 A

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The problem to overcome is to provide a glass panel unit assembly, amethod for manufacturing a glass panel unit, a work in progress of theglass panel unit, and the glass panel unit, all of which contribute toincreasing the production yield.

A glass panel unit assembly according to an aspect of the presentdisclosure includes: a pair of glass substrates arranged to face eachother; a peripheral wall having a frame shape and disposed between thepair of glass substrates; a partition; an air passage; and an evacuationport. The partition partitions an internal space, surrounded with thepair of glass substrates and the peripheral wall, into a first space anda second space. The air passage connects the first space and the secondspace together. The evacuation port connects the second space to anexternal environment. The partition has a broader width than theperipheral wall.

A method for manufacturing a glass panel unit according to anotheraspect of the present disclosure includes an assembling step, anevacuation step, and a sealing step. The assembling step includesproviding the glass panel unit assembly described above. The evacuationstep includes evacuating the first space through the air passage, thesecond space, and the evacuation port. The sealing step includesdeforming the partition to close the air passage and thereby form aboundary wall that hermetically separates the internal space into thefirst space and the second space.

A work in progress of a glass panel unit according to still anotheraspect of the present disclosure includes: a pair of glass substratesarranged to face each other: a peripheral wall having a frame shape anddisposed between the pair of glass substrates; and a boundary wall tohermetically separate an internal space, surrounded with the pair ofglass substrates and the peripheral wall, into a first space and asecond space. The boundary wall has a broader width than the peripheralwall.

A glass panel unit according to yet another aspect of the presentdisclosure includes: a pair of glass panels arranged to face each otherand a frame member disposed between the pair of glass panels tohermetically bond the pair of glass panels together. The frame memberincludes a first part having a raised outer side surface and a secondpart having a flat outer side surface. The first part and the secondpart have an equal width.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a glass panel unit assembly according to anexemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along the plane A-A shownin FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a work in progress of glass panel unitsaccording to the exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along the plane B-B shownin FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 illustrates how to perform a preparatory step (assembling step)in a method for manufacturing a glass panel unit according to theexemplary embodiment;

FIG. 6 illustrates how to perform the preparatory step (assembling step)in the manufacturing method;

FIG. 7 illustrates how to perform the preparatory step (assembling step)in the manufacturing method;

FIG. 8 illustrates how to perform the preparatory step (assembling step)in the manufacturing method;

FIG. 9 illustrates how to perform the preparatory step (assembling step)in the manufacturing method;

FIG. 10 illustrates how to perform the preparatory step (assemblingstep) in the manufacturing method;

FIG. 11 illustrates how to perform the preparatory step (assemblingstep) in the manufacturing method;

FIG. 12 illustrates how to perform the preparatory step (assemblingstep) in the manufacturing method;

FIG. 13 illustrates how to perform the preparatory step (assemblingstep) in the manufacturing method;

FIG. 14 illustrates how to perform the preparatory step (assemblingstep) in the manufacturing method;

FIG. 15 illustrates how to perform a removing step in the manufacturingmethod:

FIG. 16 illustrates how to perform the removing step in themanufacturing method;

FIG. 17 is a partial cross-sectional view of a glass panel unitmanufactured by the manufacturing method;

FIG. 18 is a partial cross-sectional view of a glass panel unitmanufactured by the manufacturing method; and

FIG. 19 is a partial cross-sectional view of a glass panel unitmanufactured by the manufacturing method.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 1. Embodiments

1.1. Overview

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a glass panel unit assembly (hereinafter simplyreferred to as an “assembly”) 100 according to an exemplary embodiment.The assembly 100 is used to manufacture one or more glass panel units(e.g., the glass panel units 10A-10G shown in FIG. 15 in thisembodiment). The assembly 100 includes a pair of glass substrates 200,300 arranged to face each other, a peripheral wall 410, partitions 420a-420 p, an air passage 600, and an evacuation port 700. The peripheralwall 410 has a frame shape and is disposed between the pair of glasssubstrates 200, 300. The partitions 420 a-420 p partition an internalspace 500, surrounded with the pair of glass substrates 200, 300 and theperipheral wall 410, into a first space 510 a-510 g and a second space520 a. 520 b. The air passage 600 (directly or indirectly) connects thefirst space 510 a-510 g and the second space 520 a. 520 b together. Theevacuation port 700 connects the second space 520 a, 520 b to anexternal environment. The partitions 420 a-420 p have a broader widththan the peripheral wall 410 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In this assembly 100, the boundary walls 42 a-42 h that hermeticallyseparate the internal space 500 into the first space 510 a-510 g and thesecond space 520 a. 520 b may be formed by deforming the partitions 420a-420 p to close the air passage 600. Thereafter, the glass panel unitassembly 100 is cut off along the boundary walls 42 a-42 h, therebyobtaining glass panel units 10A-10G. In this case, the boundary walls 42a-42 h are formed out of the partitions 420 a-420 p and the partitions420 a-420 p have a broader width than the peripheral wall 410. Thisfacilitates the work of cutting off the pair of glass substrates 200,300 along the boundary walls 42 a-42 h. Among other things, this reducesthe chances of the boundary walls 42 a-42 h being damaged while theboundary walls 42 a-42 h are being cut off to connect the first space510 a-510 g to an external environment unintentionally and cause adecrease in the degree of vacuum. This contributes to increasing theproduction yield. In addition, the width of the boundary walls 42 a-42 his double of that of the respective sides 41 a-41 d of the peripheralwall 41. Thus, even if the frame member 40 includes a part of theperipheral wall 41, the respective sides of the frame member 40 alsohave the same width, thus increasing the strength of the frame member 40as a whole.

1.2. Configuration

Next, a glass panel unit assembly 100 according to this embodiment willbe described in detail. The assembly 100 is used to manufacture aplurality of (e.g., seven in this example) glass panel units 10(10A-10G) as shown in FIG. 15.

The glass panel units 10 (10A-10G) are vacuum insulated glazing units.The vacuum insulated glazing unit is a type of multi-pane glazing unit(or multi-pane glass panel unit) including at least one pair of glasspanels and has a vacuum space between the pair of glass panels. Each ofthe glass panel units 10A-10G includes a pair of glass panels (first andsecond glass panels) 20, 30, and a frame member 40 as shown in FIG. 15.In addition, each of the glass panel units 10A-10G further includes aspace (vacuum space) 50 (50 a-50 g (see FIG. 3)) surrounded with thepair of glass panels 20, 30 and the frame member 40. Each of the glasspanel units 10A-10G further includes, within the vacuum space 50, a gasadsorbent 60 and a plurality of pillars (spacers) 70. As can be seenfrom FIG. 15, the glass panel units 10A-10G each have a quadrangularshape in a plan view but not all of the glass panel units 10A-10G havethe same dimensions or the same shape.

The pair of glass panels 20, 30 have the same shape, and may be eachformed in a rectangular flat plate shape. Examples of materials for thepair of glass panels 20, 30 include soda lime glass, high strain pointglass, chemically tempered glass, alkali-free glass, quartz glass,Neoceram, and thermally tempered glass. The surface of the pair of glasspanels 20, 30 may be covered with a coating. The coating may be atransparent infrared reflective film, for example. However, this is onlyan example and should not be construed as limiting. The coating does nothave to be an infrared reflective film but may also be any other filmwith desired physical properties.

The frame member 40 is arranged between the pair of glass panels 20, 30to hermetically bond the pair of glass panels 20, 30 together. Thisallows a space, surrounded with the pair of glass panels 20, 30 and theframe member 40, to be formed. In addition, the space surrounded withthe pair of glass panels 20, 30 and the frame member 40 is a vacuumspace 50. The frame member 40 may be made of a hot glue as a sealant. Inother words, the frame member 40 is a cured hot glue. The hot glue maybe a glass frit, for example. The glass frit may be a low-melting glassfrit, for example. Examples of the low-melting glass frits include abismuth-based glass frit, a lead-based glass frit, and a vanadium-basedglass frit. The frame member 40, as well as the pair of glass panels 20,30, has a polygonal shape (e.g., a quadrangular shape in thisembodiment). The frame member 40 is formed along the respective outerperipheries of the pair of glass panels 20, 30. The hot glue does nothave to be a glass frit but may also be a low-melting metal or ahot-melt adhesive, for example.

The gas adsorbent 60 is arranged in the vacuum space 50. Specifically,the gas adsorbent 60 has an elongate flat-plate shape and is arranged onthe glass panel 30. The gas adsorbent 60 is used to adsorb anunnecessary gas (such as a residual gas). The unnecessary gas is a gasemitted from the hot glue forming the frame member 40 when the hot glueis heated, for example. The gas adsorbent 60 includes a getter. Thegetter is a material having the property of adsorbing molecules smallerin size than a predetermined one. The getter may be an evaporativegetter, for example. The evaporative getter has the property ofreleasing adsorbed molecules when heated to a predetermined temperature(activation temperature) or more. This allows, even if the adsorptionability of the evaporative getter deteriorates, the evaporative getterto recover its adsorption ability by being heated to the activationtemperature or more. The evaporative getter may be a zeolite or anion-exchanged zeolite (such as a copper ion exchanged zeolite). The gasadsorbent 60 includes a powder of this getter. Specifically, the gasadsorbent 60 may be formed by applying a liquid including a powder ofthe getter (such as a dispersion liquid obtained by dispersing a powderof the getter in a liquid or a solution obtained by dissolving a powderof the getter in a liquid) and solidifying the liquid. This reduces thesize of the gas adsorbent 60, thus allowing the gas adsorbent 60 to bearranged even when the vacuum space 50 is narrow.

The plurality of pillars 70 are placed in the vacuum space 50. Theplurality of pillars 70 is used to maintain a predetermined gap betweenthe pair of glass panels 20, 30. That is to say, the plurality ofpillars 70 is used to maintain the gap distance between the pair ofglass panels 20, 30 at a desired value. Note that the dimensions,number, spacing, and arrangement pattern of the pillars 70 may beselected appropriately. Each of the pillars 70 has the shape of acircular column, of which the height is approximately equal to thepredetermined gap. For example, the pillars 70 may have a diameter of 1mm and a height of 100 μm. Optionally, the pillars 70 may also have anyother desired shape such as a prismatic or spherical shape.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the assembly 100 includes a pair of glasssubstrates (first and second glass substrates) 200, 300 arranged to faceeach other, a peripheral wall 410, partitions 420 a-420 p, a pluralityof air passages 600, and an evacuation port 700. The assembly 100further includes a plurality of gas adsorbents 60 and a plurality ofpillars (spacers) 70.

The first glass substrate 200 is a member that forms the basis of thefirst glass panel 20 and is made of the same material as the first glasspanel 20. The second glass substrate 300 is a member that forms thebasis of the second glass panel 30 and is made of the same material asthe second glass panel 30. The first and second glass substrates 200,300 have the same shape and each have a polygonal plate shape (e.g., arectangular plate shape in this embodiment). In this embodiment, thefirst glass substrate 200 has dimensions that are large enough to formthe respective first glass panels 20 of the glass panel units 10A-10Gand the second glass substrate 300 has dimensions that are large enoughto form the respective second glass panels 30 of the glass panel units10A-10G

The peripheral wall 410 is made of a sealant (first sealant). The firstsealant includes a hot glue, for example. The hot glue may be a glassfrit, for example. The glass frit may be a low-melting glass frit, forexample. Examples of the low-melting glass frits include a bismuth-basedglass frit, a lead-based glass frit, and a vanadium-based glass frit.The first sealant further includes a core material. The core material isused to define the height of the frame member 40. The core material maybe spherical glass beads, for example. The diameter of the glass beadsmay be selected according to the height of the frame member 40. Such acore material is dispersed at a predetermined ratio in the hot glue. Forexample, glass beads with a diameter of 50 μm to 300 μm are included toaccount for 0.01 wt % to 1 wt % (0.03% to 3% by volume) of the hot glue.

The peripheral wall 410 is provided between the pair of glass substrates200, 300. The peripheral wall 410 has a frame shape as shown in FIG. 1.In particular, the peripheral wall 410 may have a rectangular frameshape. The peripheral wall 410 is formed along the respective outerperipheries of the first and second glass substrates 200, 300. Theperipheral wall 410 has first to fourth sides 410 a, 410 b. The firstand second sides 410 a, 410 b extend along the width of the first andsecond glass substrates 200, 30 (i.e., in the upward/downward directionin FIG. 1). The third and fourth sides 410 c, 410 d extend along thelength of the first and second glass substrates 200, 300 (i.e., in therightward/leftward direction in FIG. 1). The peripheral wall 410 isprovided to hermetically bond the first and second glass substrates 200,300 together. Thus, in the assembly 100, an internal space 500 is formedto be surrounded with the peripheral wall 410, the first glass substrate200, and the second glass substrate 300.

Each of the partitions 420 a-420 p is made of a sealant (secondsealant). The second sealant includes a hot glue, for example. The hotglue may be a glass frit, for example. The glass frit may be alow-melting glass frit, for example. Examples of the low-melting glassfrits include a bismuth-based glass frit, a lead-based glass frit, and avanadium-based glass frit. In this embodiment, the hot glue of thepartitions 420 a-420 p is the same as that of the peripheral wall 410.Therefore, the partitions 420 a-420 p and the peripheral wall 410 havethe same softening point. In addition, the second sealant includes thesame core material as the first sealant. In the second sealant, the corematerial is also dispersed at a predetermined ratio in the hot glue. Forexample, glass beads with a diameter of 50 μm to 300 μm are included toaccount for 0.01 wt % to 1 wt % (0.03% to 3% by volume) of the hot glue.

The partitions 420 a-420 p partition the internal space 500 surroundedwith the pair of glass substrates 200, 300 and the peripheral wall 410into first spaces 510 a-510 g and second spaces 520 a, 520 b. In theassembly 100, the first spaces 510 a-510 g are spaces to be evacuatedlater (evacuation spaces) and the second spaces 520 a. 520 b are spacesfor use to evacuate the first spaces 510.

As shown in FIG. 1, the partitions 420 a-420 p are provided within thearea surrounded with the peripheral wall 410. Each of the partitions 420a-420 p is lower in height than the peripheral wall 410. Thus, as shownin FIG. 2, the peripheral wall 410 comes into contact with both of thefirst and second glass substrates 200, 300 earlier than the partitions420 a-420 p do. In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, the partitions 420a-420 p are provided on the second glass substrate 300, and therefore,are spaced apart from the first glass substrate 200. Thus, even if thegap between the pair of glass substrates 200, 300 is narrower in thecentral region than in the peripheral region thereof due to the warpageof at least one of the first and second glass substrates 200, 300, thepartitions 420 a-420 p are less likely to come into contact with both ofthe pair of glass substrates 200, 300. This reduces the chances of thecontact of the peripheral wall 410 with both of the pair of glasssubstrates 200, 300 being interfered with by the partitions 420 a-420 p,thus reducing the chances of causing insufficient bonding between thepair of glass substrates 200, 300. This contributes to increasing theproduction yield.

More specifically, the partitions 420 a, 420 b, 420 c are elongatepartitions extending along the width of the pair of glass substrates200, 300, (i.e., the upward/downward direction in FIG. 1) and arearranged in line to be spaced apart from each other along the width. Thepartitions 420 a, 420 b, 420 c are located beside a first end (i.e., theright end in FIG. 1) along the length of the pair of glass substrates200, 300 (i.e., the rightward/leftward direction in FIG. 1) and arearranged to be spaced from the first side 410 a of the peripheral wall410.

The partitions 420 d, 420 e, 420 f are elongate partitions extendingalong the width of the pair of glass substrates 200, 300, and arearranged in line to be spaced apart from each other along the width. Thepartitions 420 d, 420 e, 420 f are located closer to a second end (i.e.,the left end in FIG. 1) along the length of the pair of glass substrates200, 300 than the partitions 420 a, 420 b, 420 c are. In addition, thepartitions 420 d, 420 e, 420 f face the partitions 420 a, 420 b, 420 c,respectively, along the length of the pair of glass substrates 200, 300.

The partitions 420 g, 420 h are elongate partitions extending along thewidth of the pair of glass substrates 200, 300, and are spaced apartfrom each other along the length of the pair of glass substrates 200,300. The partitions 420 g, 420 h are located closer to the second end(i.e., the left end in FIG. 1) along the length of the pair of glasssubstrates 200, 300 than the partition 420 e is.

The partitions 420 i, 420 j, 420 k, 4201 are elongate partitionsextending along the length of the pair of glass substrates 200, 300, andare arranged in line to be spaced apart from each other along thelength. In particular, the partition 420 i is located between a firstend (i.e., the upper end in FIG. 1) of the partition 420 h and thesecond side 410 b of the peripheral wall 410. The partition 420 j islocated between respective first ends (i.e., the upper ends in FIG. 1)of the partitions 420 h, 420 g. The partition 420 k has a first end(i.e., the right end in FIG. 1) located between the partitions 420 d,420 e, and a second end (i.e., the left end in FIG. 1) facing the firstend (i.e., the upper end in FIG. 1) of the partition 420 g. Thepartition 420 l has a first end (i.e., the right end in FIG. 1) locatedbetween the partitions 420 a, 420 b and a second end (i.e., the left endin FIG. 1) located between the partitions 420 d, 420 e.

The partitions 420 m, 420 n, 420 o are elongate partitions extendingalong the length of the pair of glass substrates 200, 300, and arearranged in line to be spaced apart from each other along the length. Inaddition, the partitions 420 m, 420 n, 420 o face the partitions 420 i,420 j, 420 k, respectively, along the width of the pair of glasssubstrates 200, 300. In particular, the partition 420 m is locatedbetween a second end (i.e., the lower end in FIG. 1) of the partition420 h and the second side 410 b of the peripheral wall 410. Thepartition 420 n is located between respective second ends (i.e., thelower ends in FIG. 1) of the partitions 420 h, 420 g. The partition 420o has a first end (i.e., the right end in FIG. 1) facing an end, locatedcloser to the fourth side 410 d of the peripheral wall 410, of thepartition 420 e, and a second end (i.e., the left end in FIG. 1) facingthe second end (i.e., the lower end in FIG. 1) of the partition 420 g.

The partition 420 p is an elongate partition extending along the lengthof the pair of glass substrates 200, 300. In particular, the partition420 p has a first end (i.e., the right end in FIG. 1) located betweenthe partitions 420 b, 420 c and a second end (i.e., the left end inFIG. 1) located between the partitions 420 e, 420 f.

In the assembly 100, the first space 510 a is a space surrounded withthe second and third sides 410 b, 410 c of the peripheral wall 410 andthe partitions 420 d, 420 i, 420 j, 420 k, 420 h, 420 g. The first space510 b is a space surrounded with the second side 410 b of the peripheralwall 410 and the partitions 420 h, 420 i, 420 m. The first space 510 cis a space surrounded with the partitions 420 g, 420 h, 420 j, 420 n.The first space 510 d is a space surrounded with the partitions 420 e,420 g, 420 k, 420 o. The first space 510 e is a space surrounded withthe second and fourth sides 410 b, 410 d of the peripheral wall 410 andthe partitions 420 e, 420 f, 420 g, 420 h, 420 m, 420 n, 420 o, 420 p.The first space 510 f is a space surrounded with the third side 410 c ofthe peripheral wall 410 and the partitions 420 a, 420 d, 420 l. Thefirst space 510 g is a space surrounded with the partitions 420 b, 420e, 4201, 420 p. The second space 520 a is a space surrounded with thefirst, third and fourth sides 410 a, 410 c, 410 d of the peripheral wall410 and the partitions 420 a, 420 b, 420 c, 4201, 420 p. The secondspace 520 b is a space surrounded with the fourth side 410 d of theperipheral wall 410 and the partitions 420 c, 420 f, 420 p.

In this embodiment, the gas adsorbent 60 is arranged in each of thefirst spaces 510 a-510 g as shown in FIG. 1. On the other hand, theplurality of pillars 70 are placed over the entire internal space 500(i.e., in each of the first spaces 510 a-510 g and the second spaces 520a, 520 b) as shown in FIG. 1.

The plurality of air passages 600 is used to evacuate the first spaces(evacuation spaces) 510 a-510 g through the evacuation port 700. Inother words, via the plurality of air passages 600, the first spaces 510a-510 g are connected (directly or indirectly) to the second space 520a, 520 b. In this embodiment, the partitions 420 a-420 p are arrangedout of contact with each other. The respective gaps left between thepartitions 420 a-420 p constitute the air passages 600. The respectiveair passages 600 are closed by once melting and deforming the partitions420 a-420 p. This allows not only at least the first spaces 510 a-510 gto be (hermetically) separated from each other but also the first spaces510 a-510 g to be (hermetically) separated from the second spaces 520 a,520 b (see FIG. 3).

The evacuation port 700 connects the second spaces 520 a. 520 b to theexternal environment. In particular, the evacuation port 700 is a portconnecting the second space 520 a to the external environment. Theevacuation port 700 is used to evacuate the first spaces 510 a-510 gthrough the second spaces 520 a, 520 b and the air passages 600. Thus,the air passages 600, the second spaces 520 a, 520 b, and the evacuationport 700 together form an evacuation path for evacuating the firstspaces 510 a-510 g. The evacuation port 700 is cut through the secondglass substrate 300 to connect the second space 520 a to the externalenvironment. Specifically, the evacuation port 700 is provided at acorner of the second glass substrate 300.

In this embodiment, the second space 520 a is a ventilation spaceconnected directly to the evacuation port 700. The second space 520 b isnot directly connected to the evacuation port 700 but constitutes acoupling space that connects the first space 510 e to the second space520 a. The plurality of air passages 600 includes a plurality of airpassages (two first air passages 611, 612) connecting the first space(evacuation space) 510 e to the second space (coupling space) 520 b asshown in FIG. 1. The plurality of air passages 600 further includes aplurality of air passages (two second air passages 621, 622) connectingthe second space (ventilation space) 520 a to the second space (couplingspace) 520 b. The plurality of air passages 600 further includes aplurality of air passages 630 connecting the first spaces 510 f, 510 gto the second space 520 a and a plurality of air passages 640 connectingthe first spaces 510 a-510 g together.

More specifically, the first air passage 611 is an air passage between afirst end (e.g., the upper end in FIG. 1) of the partition 420 f and asecond end (e.g., the left end in FIG. 1) of the partition 420 p. Thefirst air passage 612 is an air passage between a second end (e.g., thelower end in FIG. 1) of the partition 420 f and the fourth side 410 d ofthe peripheral wall 410. On the other hand, the second air passage 621is an air passage between a first end (e.g., the upper end in FIG. 1) ofthe partition 420 c and a first end (e.g., the right end in FIG. 1) ofthe partition 420 p. The second air passage 622 is an air passagebetween a second end (e.g., the lower end in FIG. 1) of the partition420 c and the fourth side 410 d of the peripheral wall 410. In thiscase, the second air passage 622 has a larger dimension than any of thefirst air passages 611, 612. That is to say, one or more second airpassages 621, 622 include a particular air passage 622 having a largerdimension than any of one or more first air passages 611, 612. Thisallows the coupling space 520 b to be used as a part of the evacuationpath when the evacuation space 510 e is evacuated via the evacuationport 700. This allows evacuation to be done efficiently. Among otherthings, this reduces the chances of, when the air passages 600 areclosed by deforming the partitions 420 a-420 p in a second melting step(sealing step) to be described later, the second air passages 621, 622being all closed before the first air passages 611, 612 are all closed.Thus, this reduces the chances of the evacuation space 510 e beingseparated from the ventilation space 520 a before the evacuation space510 e is evacuated sufficiently. This contributes to increasing theproduction yield.

1.3. Manufacturing Method

Next, a method for manufacturing the glass panel units 10 (10A-10G)using the assembly 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3-16.This method for manufacturing the glass panel units 10 includespreparatory steps and a removing step.

The preparatory steps are steps of providing the work in progress 110 ofglass panel units (hereinafter simply referred to as the “work inprogress 110”) shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The work in progress 110 isformed out of the glass panel unit assembly 100.

The work in progress 110 includes the pair of glass substrates (firstand second glass substrates) 200, 300, a peripheral wall 41, andboundary walls 42 a-42 h as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In addition, thework in progress 110 further has vacuum spaces 50 a-50 g and secondspaces 520 a, 520 b. Besides, the work in progress 110 further includesgas adsorbents 60 and a plurality of pillars (spacers) 70 in therespective vacuum spaces 50 a-50 h. The work in progress 110 further hasan evacuation port 700.

The peripheral wall 41 is provided between the pair of glass substrates200, 300 to hermetically bond the pair of glass substrates 200, 300together. The peripheral wall 41 is formed by once melting, and thensolidifying again, the peripheral wall 410 of the assembly 100. Justlike the peripheral wall 410 of the assembly 100, the peripheral wall 41of the work in progress 110 also has a frame shape. In particular, theperipheral wall 41 has first to fourth sides 41 a, 41 b, 41 c, 41 d. Thefirst and second sides 41 a, 41 b extend along the width of the firstand second glass substrates 200, 300 (i.e., in the upward/downwarddirection in FIG. 3). The third and fourth sides 41 c. 41 d extend alongthe length of the first and second glass substrates 200, 300 (i.e., therightward/leftward direction in FIG. 3).

The boundary walls 42 a-42 h (spatially) separate the vacuum spaces 50a-50 g and the second spaces 520 a, 520 b from each other. The boundarywalls 42 a-42 h are formed out of the partitions 420 a-420 p. Morespecifically, the boundary wall 42 a linearly extends along the width ofthe pair of glass substrates 200, 300 to couple together the third andfourth sides 41 c, 41 d of the peripheral wall 41.

The boundary wall 42 a is formed by deforming the partitions 420 a, 420b, 420 c, 4201, 420 p. The boundary wall 42 b linearly extends along thewidth of the pair of glass substrates 200, 300 to couple together thethird and fourth sides 41 c, 41 d of the peripheral wall 41. Theboundary wall 42 b is located between the boundary wall 42 a and thesecond side 41 b of the peripheral wall 41. The boundary wall 42 b isformed by deforming the partitions 420 d, 420 e, 420 f, 420 k, 4201, 420p. The boundary wall 42 c linearly extends along the length of the pairof glass substrates 200, 300 to couple together the second side 41 b ofthe peripheral wall 41 and the boundary wall 42 b. The boundary wall 42c is formed by deforming the partitions 420 i, 420 j, 420 k, 420 g, 420h. The boundary wall 42 d linearly extends along the length of the pairof glass substrates 200, 300 to couple together the second side 41 b ofthe peripheral wall 41 and the boundary wall 42 b. The boundary wall 42d is located between the boundary wall 42 c and the fourth side 41 d ofthe peripheral wall 41. The boundary wall 42 d is formed by deformingthe partitions 420 m, 420 n, 420 o, 420 g, 420 h. The boundary wall 42e, 42 f linearly extend along the width of the pair of glass substrates200, 300 to couple together the boundary walls 42 c, 42 d. The boundarywalls 42 e, 42 f are formed by deforming the partitions 420 h, 420 g,respectively. The boundary wall 42 g, 42 h linearly extend along thelength of the pair of glass substrates 200, 300 to couple together theboundary walls 42 a, 42 b. The boundary walls 42 g, 42 h are formed bydeforming the partitions 420 l, 420 p, respectively.

The vacuum spaces 50 a-50 g are formed by evacuating the first spaces510 a-510 g, respectively, through the second spaces 520 a, 520 b andthe evacuation port 700. In other words, the vacuum spaces 50 a-50 g arethe first spaces 510 a-510 g having a degree of vacuum equal to or lessthan a predetermined value. The predetermined value may be 0.1 Pa, forexample. The vacuum spaces 50 a-50 g are perfectly sealed hermeticallyby the first glass substrate 200, the second glass substrate 300, theperipheral wall 41, and the boundary walls 42 a-42 h, and therefore, areseparated from the second spaces 520 a. 520 b and the evacuation port700.

In the work in progress 110, the vacuum space 50 a (first space 510 a)is a space surrounded with the second and third sides 410 b, 410 c ofthe peripheral wall 410 and the boundary walls 42 b, 42 c. The vacuumspace 50 b (first space 510 b) is a space surrounded with the secondside 410 b of the peripheral wall 410 and the boundary walls 42 c, 42 d,42 e. The vacuum space 50 c (first space 510 c) is a space surroundedwith the boundary walls 42 c, 42 d, 42 e, 42 f. The vacuum space 50 d(first space 510 d) is a space surrounded with the boundary walls 42 b,42 c, 42 d, 42 f The vacuum space 50 e (first space 510 e) is a spacesurrounded with the second and fourth sides 410 b, 410 d of theperipheral wall 410 and the boundary walls 42 b, 42 d. The vacuum space50 f (first space 510 f) is a space surrounded with the third side 410 cof the peripheral wall 410 and the boundary walls 42 a, 42 b, 42 g. Thevacuum space 50 g (first space 510 g) is a space surrounded with theboundary walls 42 a, 42 b, 42 g, 42 h.

As can be seen, the peripheral wall 410 and the boundary walls 42 a-42 hinclude, as their integral parts, a plurality of frame members 40surrounding the vacuum spaces 50 a-50 g. That is to say, portions,surrounding the respective vacuum spaces 50 a-50 g, of the peripheralwall 410 and the boundary walls 42 a-42 h form the frame members 40.

The preparatory steps are steps of providing the work in progress 110described above. The preparatory steps include an assembling step, afirst melting step, an evacuation step, and a second melting step.

The assembling step is the step of providing the assembly 100. That isto say, the assembling step is the step of forming the first glasssubstrate 200, the second glass substrate 300, the peripheral wall 410,the partitions 420 a-420 p, the internal space 500, the air passages600, the evacuation port 700, the plurality of gas adsorbents 60, andthe plurality of pillars 70 to obtain the assembly 100. The assemblingstep includes first to sixth steps. Optionally, the order in which thesecond to fifth steps are performed may be changed as appropriate.

The first step is the step of forming the first glass substrate 200 andthe second glass substrate 300 (i.e., a substrate forming step). Forexample, the first step includes making the first glass substrate 200and the second glass substrate 300. If necessary, the first step mayfurther include cleaning the first glass substrate 200 and the secondglass substrate 300.

The second step is the step of forming the evacuation port 700. Thesecond step includes cutting the evacuation port 700 through the secondglass substrate 300 as shown in FIG. 5. If necessary, the second stepincludes cleaning the second glass substrate 300.

The third step is the step of arranging the peripheral wall 410 and thepartitions 420 a-420 p (sealant arrangement step). The third stepincludes a peripheral wall forming step and a partition forming step.

The peripheral wall forming step is the step of forming the peripheralwall 410. More specifically, the peripheral wall forming step is thestep of forming the peripheral wall 410 by applying a material for theperipheral wall 410 (first sealant) 411 through a dispenser 810 onto oneof the pair of glass substrates 200, 300 (e.g., the second glasssubstrate 300 in this example) as shown in FIG. 6. In the peripheralwall forming step, when the material 411 for the peripheral wall 410 isapplied onto the second glass substrate 300, the material 411 for theperipheral wall 410 discharged through a nozzle 811 of the dispenser 810is not to be pressed by the nozzle 811 as shown in FIG. 6. Then, thedispenser 810 is moved along the peripheral edges of the second glasssubstrate 300 (e.g., as indicated by the arrow 412 shown in FIG. 5)while discharging the material 411 through the nozzle 811. Thereafter,the material 411 is allowed to dry to form the peripheral wall 410. Inthis manner, a peripheral wall 410, of which the first to fourth sides410 a-410 d have a height H1 and a width W1, is obtained as shown inFIG. 7. The height of the peripheral wall 410 defines the dimension ofthe peripheral wall 410 in the direction in which the pair of glasssubstrates 200, 300 face each other. In this embodiment, the height ofthe peripheral wall 410 is the height H1 of the first to fourth sides410 a-410 d. The height H1 and the width W may be adjusted according tothe traveling velocity of the dispenser 810 and the rate of dischargingthe material 411, for example.

The partition forming step is the step of forming the partitions 420a-420 p. In the following description of the partition forming step,when there is no need to distinguish the partitions 420 a-420 p fromeach other, the partitions 420 a-420 p will be hereinafter collectivelyreferred to “partitions 420.” This partition forming step is the step offorming the partitions 420 by applying a material (second sealant) 421for the partitions 420 through a dispenser 820 onto one of the pair ofglass substrates 200, 300 (e.g., the second glass substrate 300) asshown in FIG. 8. In this partition forming step, when the material 421for the partitions 420 is applied onto the second glass substrate 300,the material 421 for the partitions 420 discharged through a nozzle 821of the dispenser 820 is pressed by the nozzle 821 as shown in FIG. 8.This is done to adjust the height of the partitions 420. This allows thepartitions 420 obtained to have a height H2 which is smaller than theheight H1 of the peripheral wall 410 as shown in FIG. 9. The height ofthe partitions 420 is the dimension of the partitions 420 in thedirection in which the pair of glass substrates 200, 300 face eachother. The width W2 of the partitions 420 may be adjusted according tothe traveling velocity of the dispenser 820 and the discharge rate ofthe material 421, for example. However, the range in which the width W2is adjustable by the traveling velocity of the dispenser 820, thedischarge rate of the material 421, or any other parameter has a limit.Thus, in this embodiment, to make the width W2 of the partitions 420greater than the width of the peripheral wall 410 (i.e., the width W1 ofthe first to fourth sides 410 a-410 d thereof), the materials 421 forthe partitions 420 are applied adjacent to one another in a directiondefining the width of the partitions 420 an increased number of times.That is to say, the number of times of applying the material 421 so thatthe materials 421 are adjacent to one another in the direction definingthe width of the partitions 420 is greater than the number of times ofapplying the material 411 so that the materials 411 are adjacent to oneanother in the direction defining the width of the peripheral wall 410(i.e., the width of the respective sides 410 a-410 d). In other words,when the partitions 420 are formed, the number of application lines isincreased compared to when the peripheral wall 410 is formed.

In this embodiment, two application lines 4211, 4212 are formed byapplying the material 421 for the partitions 420 twice in the directiondefining the length of the partitions 420 so that the materials 421 areadjacent to one another in the direction defining the width of thepartitions 420 as shown in FIG. 10. Specifically, the dispenser 820 ismoved along the sides of quadrangles as indicated by the arrows 422a-422 p shown in FIG. 5 with the material 421 discharged through thenozzle 821. Note that the arrows 422 a-422 p correspond to thepartitions 420 a-420 p, respectively. In this case, the interval D1between the two adjacent application lines 4211, 4212 is set such thatthe respective surfaces of the two adjacent application lines 4211, 4212are connected together to be level with each other (i.e., located on thesame plane). This eliminates a recess from between the respectivesurfaces of the adjacent application lines 4211, 4212. This allows apartition 420 with a flat surface to be obtained as shown in FIG. 11. Asused herein, “applying the material adjacently” means formingapplication lines adjacent to each other. Optionally, the applicationlines 4211, 4212 may be adjacent to each other to partially overlap witheach other as shown in FIG. 10.

Thereafter, the material 421 is allowed to dry, thereby forming thepartitions 420. In this manner, partitions 420 (420 a-420 p) with theheight H2 and the width W2 are obtained as shown in FIG. 11. As can beseen, in the partition forming step, the material 421 for the partitions420 discharged through the nozzle 821 of the dispenser 820 is pressedwith the nozzle 821 of the dispenser 820. This makes the partitions 420lower in height than the peripheral wall 410. In addition, in thepartition forming step, the number of times of applying the material 421so that the materials 421 are adjacent to one another in the directiondefining the width of the partitions 420 is larger than the number oftimes of applying the material 411 so that the materials 411 areadjacent to one another in the direction defining the width of therespective sides 410 a-410 d of the peripheral wall 410 as describedabove. This allows the partitions 420 to have a broader width than theperipheral wall 410.

The fourth step is the step of forming pillars 70 (pillar forming step).The fourth step includes forming a plurality of pillars 70 in advanceand placing, using a chip mounter or any other tool, the plurality ofpillars 70 at predetermined positions on the second glass substrate 300.In this embodiment, the pillars 70 are lower than the partitions 420a-420 p. Alternatively, the pillars 70 may also be formed by acombination of photolithography and etching techniques. In that case,the plurality of pillars 70 may be made of a photocurable material, forexample. Still alternatively, the plurality of pillars 70 may also beformed by a known thin film forming technique.

The fifth step is the step of forming the gas adsorbents 60 (gasadsorbent forming step). The fifth step includes forming the gasadsorbents 60 by applying, using a dispenser, for example, a solution inwhich a powder of a getter is dispersed onto predetermined positions onthe second glass substrate 300 and drying the solution applied.

By performing these first to fifth steps, the peripheral wall 410, thepartitions 420 a-420 p, the air passages 600, the evacuation port 700,the plurality of gas adsorbents 60, and the plurality of pillars 70 areformed on the second glass substrate 300 as shown in FIG. 12.

The sixth step is the step of arranging the first glass substrate 200and the second glass substrate 300 (arrangement step). In the sixthstep, the first glass substrate 200 and the second glass substrate 300are arranged to be parallel to each other and face each other as shownin FIG. 12.

The assembly 100 is obtained by performing this assembling step. Afterthe assembling step has been performed, the first melting step (bondingstep), the evacuation step, and the second melting step (sealing step)are carried out.

The first melting step is the step of melting the peripheral wall 410once to hermetically bond the pair of glass substrates 200, 300 togetherwith the peripheral wall 410. Specifically, the first glass substrate200 and the second glass substrate 300 are loaded into a melting furnaceand heated at a first melting temperature for a predetermined amount oftime (first melting time). The first melting temperature and the firstmelting time are set such that the first glass substrate 200 and thesecond glass substrate 300 are hermetically bonded together with theperipheral wall 410 but that the air passages 600 are not closed withthe partitions 420 a-420 p. That is to say, the lower limit of the firstmelting temperature is the softening point of the peripheral wall 410but the upper limit of the first melting temperature is set such thatthe air passages 600 are not closed with the partitions 420 a-420 p. Forexample, if the softening point of the peripheral wall 410 and thepartitions 420 a-420 p is 434° C., the first melting temperature is setat 440° C. The first melting time may be 10 minutes, for example. Also,in this first melting step, the peripheral wall 410 softens too much tosupport the first glass substrate 200 by itself anymore, and therefore,the first glass substrate 200 is supported by the partitions 420 a-420 pinstead.

The evacuation step is the step of evacuating the first spaces(evacuation spaces) 510 a-510 g through the air passages 600, the secondspaces (ventilation space and coupling space) 520 a, 520 b, and theevacuation port 700 and thereby turning the first spaces 510 a-510 ginto vacuum spaces 50 (50 a-50 g). In other words, the vacuum spaces 50a-50 g are the first spaces 510 a-510 g in vacuum condition. Theevacuation may be carried out using a vacuum pump, for example. Thevacuum pump may be connected to the assembly 10 via an evacuation pipe830 and a sealing head 840 as shown in FIG. 13. The evacuation pipe 830may be bonded to the second glass substrate 300 such that the inside ofthe evacuation pipe 830 and the evacuation port 700 communicate witheach other, for example. Then, the sealing head 840 is attached to theevacuation pipe 830, thereby connecting a suction port of the vacuumpump to the evacuation port 700. The first melting step, the evacuationstep, and the second melting step are performed with the assembly 100kept loaded in the melting furnace. Therefore, the evacuation pipe 830is bonded to the second glass substrate 300 at least before the firstmelting step.

The evacuation step includes evacuating the first spaces 510 a-510 g ata temperature equal to or higher than an evacuation temperature for apredetermined amount of time (evacuation time) via the air passages 600,the second spaces 520 a, 520 b, and the evacuation port 700 before thesecond melting step is started. The evacuation temperature is set at atemperature higher than the activation temperature (e.g., 350° C.) ofthe getter of the gas adsorbents 60 but lower than the softening point(e.g., 434° C.) of the partitions 420 a-420 p. The evacuationtemperature may be 390° C., for example. This prevents the partitions420 a-420 p from being deformed. In addition, this causes the getter ofthe gas adsorbents 60 to be activated and also causes the molecules(gas) adsorbed onto the getter to be released from the getter. Then, themolecules (i.e., the gas) released from the getter is exhausted throughthe first spaces 510 a-510 g, the air passages 600, the second spaces520 a, 520 b, and the evacuation port 700. Thus, this evacuation stepallows the gas adsorbents 60 to recover their adsorption ability. Theevacuation time is set to create vacuum spaces 50 a-50 g with apredetermined degree of vacuum (e.g., a degree of vacuum of 0.1 Pa orless). The evacuation time may be set at 120 minutes, for example.

The second melting step is the step of closing the air passages 600 bydeforming the partitions 420 a-420 p to form the boundary walls 42 a-42h and thereby obtain the work in progress 110. That is to say, thesecond melting step includes closing the air passages 600 to form aplurality of frame members 40 surrounding the vacuum spaces 50 a-50 g.As a result, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 12, boundary walls 42 a-42 hare formed which hermetically separate the internal space 500 into thefirst spaces 510 a-510 g (vacuum spaces 50 a-50 g) and the second spaces520 a, 520 b. In other words, the second melting step is the step offorming the boundary walls 42 a-42 h that hermetically separate theinternal space 500 into the first spaces 510 a-510 g and the secondspaces 520 a, 520 b by deforming the partitions 420 a-420 p to close theair passages 600. Note that in the second melting step, the partitions420 a-420 p soften too much to support the first glass substrate 200 bythemselves anymore, and therefore, the first glass substrate 200 issupported by the pillars 70 instead.

More specifically, melting the partitions 420 a-420 p once at apredetermined temperature (second melting temperature) equal to orhigher than the softening point of the partitions 420 a-420 p causes thepartitions 420 a-420 p to be deformed. Specifically, the first glasssubstrate 200 and the second glass substrate 300 are heated in themelting furnace at a second melting temperature for a predeterminedamount of time (second melting time). The second melting temperature andthe second melting time are set such that the partitions 420 a-420 p aresoftened to close the air passages 600. The lower limit of the secondmelting temperature is the softening point (e.g., 434° C.) of thepartitions 420 a-420 p. The second melting temperature may be set at460° C., for example. Also, the second melting time may be 30 minutes,for example.

In addition, in the second melting step, the internal space 500continues to be evacuated. That is to say, the second melting stepincludes forming the boundary walls 42 a-42 h that close the airpassages 600 by deforming the partitions 420 a-420 p at the secondmelting temperature while evacuating the first spaces 510 a-510 g viathe air passages 600, the second spaces 520 a, 520 b, and the evacuationport 700. This further reduces the chances of the degree of vacuum inthe vacuum spaces 50 a-50 g decreasing during the second melting step.Nevertheless, in the second melting step, the internal space 500 doesnot have to be evacuated continuously. Optionally, the second meltingstep may also be the step of closing all of the plurality of airpassages 600 but at least the second air passages 621, 622 by deformingthe partitions 420 a-420 p. That is to say, the second air passages 621,622 do not have to be closed. Optionally, however, the second airpassages 621, 622 may also be closed along with the other air passages60.

By performing these preparatory steps, the work in progress 110 shown inFIGS. 3, 4, and 14 is obtained. In the work in progress 110, theperipheral wall 410 and the partitions 420 a-420 p are once melted inthe first melting step and the second melting step. Thus, the gapbetween the pair of glass substrates 200, 300 is defined by the pillars70, not the peripheral wall 410. That is to say, while being melted, theperipheral wall 410 is compressed between the first and second glasssubstrates 200, 300, thus forming a peripheral wall 41 which has asmaller height and a broader width than the peripheral wall 410. That isto say, the peripheral wall 41 is the peripheral wall 410 that has beendeformed through the sealing step (second melting step). The respectivesides 41 a-41 d of this peripheral wall 41 have a smaller height and abroader width than the respective sides 410 a-410 d of the peripheralwall 410. In the same way, the partitions 420 a-420 p being melted arealso compressed between the first and second glass substrates 200, 300,thereby forming boundary walls 42 a-42 h. That is to say, the boundarywalls 42 (42 a-42 h) are partitions 420 (420 a-420 p) that have beendeformed through the sealing step (second melting step). These boundarywalls 42 a-42 h have a smaller height and a broader width than thepartitions 420 a-420 p. In this embodiment, the height H1 and width W1of the respective sides 410 a-410 d of the peripheral wall 410 and theheight H2 and width W2 of the partitions 420 a-420 p are selected suchthat the width of the boundary walls 42 a-42 h is double the width ofthe respective sides 41 a-41 d of the peripheral wall 41. That is tosay, the partitions 420 a-420 p are formed such that the boundary walls42 a-42 h will have a broader width than the peripheral wall 410 thathas gone through the sealing step (i.e., the peripheral wall 41).Although the partitions 420 a-420 p and the peripheral wall 410 havedifferent heights, the same core material is dispersed in the firstsealant and the second sealant. Thus, the peripheral wall 41 and theboundary walls 42 a-42 h to be formed out of the peripheral wall 410 andthe partitions 420 a-420 p, respectively, will have the same height.This allows the frame members 40 to have a uniform height.

The removing step is performed after the preparatory steps have beenperformed. The removing step is the step of obtaining glass panel units10A-10G out of the work in progress 110. The removing step is the stepof obtaining glass panel units 10A-10G as parts including the firstspaces (evacuation spaces) 510 a-510 g, respectively, by removing a part11A including the second space (ventilation space) 520 a and a part 11Bincluding the second space (coupling space) 520 b. That is to say, theremoving step includes cutting off the work in progress 110 into theglass panel units 10A-10G. In the work in progress 110, the glass panelunits 10A-10G form integral parts thereof. Thus, the glass panel units10A-10G are separated from each other by cutting off the work inprogress 110.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the work in progress 110 (inparticular, the glass substrates 200, 300) is cut off along cuttinglines 910, 920, 930, 940, 950, 960, 970, 980 aligned with the boundarywalls 42 a-42 h, respectively. Note that the cutting lines 910, 920,930, 940, 950, 960, 970, 980 pass through the respective centerlines ofthe boundary walls 42 a-42 h. That is to say, each of the boundary walls42 a-42 h is divided into two along the width thereof. In thisembodiment, the boundary walls 42 a-42 h are formed out of thepartitions 420 a-420 p, respectively. The partitions 420 a-420 p have abroader width than the respective sides 410 a-410 d of the peripheralwall 410. Thus, the boundary walls 42 a-42 h also have a broader widththan the respective sides 410 a-410 d of the peripheral wall 410. Thisfacilitates the work of cutting the work in progress 110 along theboundary walls 42 a-42 h. In particular, this reduces the chances of theboundary walls 42 a-42 h being damaged while being cut off to connectthe first spaces 510 a-510 g to the external environment unintentionallyand cause a decrease in the degree of vacuum. This contributes toincreasing the production yield. In addition, the width of the boundarywalls 42 a-42 h is double the width of the respective sides 41 a-41 d ofthe peripheral wall 41. Thus, even if the frame members 40 include apart of the peripheral wall 41, the respective sides of the frame member40 still have an equal width. This increase the strength of the framemember 40 as a whole.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the plurality of spacers 70 are placedover the entire internal space 500 (i.e., in each of the first spaces510 a-510 g and the second spaces 520 a, 520 b). This allows the stressapplied to the pair of glass substrates 200, 300 while the work inprogress 110 is being cut off to be distributed uniformly by theplurality of spacers, thus reducing the chances of the pair of glasssubstrates 200, 300 being damaged or causing cutting failures.

To cut off the work in progress 110, a cutter wheel 850 may be used asshown in FIG. 16. FIG. 16 illustrates an example in which the work inprogress 110 is cut off along a cutting line 910. When the work inprogress 110 is cut off with the cutter wheel 850, rib marks 860 areobserved on the cut plane. In FIG. 16, the work in progress 110 is cutoff from over the first glass substrate 200. Thus, the rib marks 860 onthe cut plane of the work in progress 110 are left on a part, facingaway from the second glass substrate 300, of the first glass substrate200. Conversely, if the work in progress 110 is cut off from under thesecond glass substrate 300, then rib marks 860 on the cut plane of thework in progress 110 will be left on a part, facing away from the firstglass substrate 200, of the second glass substrate 300. That is to say,it can be said that a given glass panel unit 10 has been separated fromthe work in progress 110 if at least one of the side surfaces of theglass panel unit 10 is the cut plane and the rib marks 860 are left on apart, facing away from the other glass panel 20, 30, of one glass panel20, 30. In this case, it may be determined, by checking the shape of theouter side surfaces of the frame members 40, whether or not a sidesurface of the glass panel unit 10 is a cut plane. If the side surfaceof the glass panel unit 10 is a cut plane, then the outer side surfaceof the frame member 40 is a flat surface as shown in FIG. 17. Inparticular, this flat surface seems to be flush with the side surfacesof the pair of glass panels 20, 30. On the other hand, unless the sidesurface of the glass panel unit 10 is a cut plane, the outer sidesurface of the frame member 40 is highly likely a raised surface asshown in FIGS. 18 and 19. In that case, the outer side surface of theframe member 40 may be recessed inward with respect to the respectiveside surfaces of the pair of glass panels 20, 30 as shown in FIG. 18.Conversely, the outer side surface of the frame member 40 may alsoprotrude out of the glass panel unit 10 with respect to the respectiveside surfaces of the pair of glass panels 20, 30 as shown in FIG. 19.Therefore, the glass panel unit 10 obtained by the manufacturing methoddescribed above includes a pair of glass panels 20, 30 arranged to faceeach other and a frame member 40 disposed between the pair of glasspanels 20, 30 to hermetically bond the pair of glass panels 20, 30together. The outer side surface of the frame member 40 is an at leastpartially flat surface. In particular, in the glass panel units 10A,10B, 10E, 10G the frame member 40 includes a first part 40 a with theraised outer side surface (see FIGS. 18 and 19) and a second part 40 bhaving a flat outer side surface (see FIG. 17). In this case, the firstpart 40 a is a part corresponding to the peripheral wall 41. The secondpart 40 b is a part corresponding to the boundary walls 42 (see FIG.15). The first part 40 a and the second part 40 b may have an equalwidth. Nevertheless, the widths of the first part 40 a and the secondpart 40 b do not have to be exactly equal to each other but may beapproximately equal to each other to the human eyes.

By performing the removing step described above, glass panel units10A-10G are obtained from the work in progress 110 as shown in FIG. 15.At this time, parts 11 (11A, 11B) including the second spaces 520 a, 520b are obtained but are not used.

2. Variations

Note that the embodiment described above is only an example of thepresent disclosure and should not be construed as limiting. Rather, theembodiment may be readily modified in various manners depending on adesign choice or any other factor without departing from the scope ofthe present disclosure. Next, variations of the embodiment describedabove will be enumerated one after another.

In the embodiment described above, the glass panel units 10 have arectangular shape. However, this is only an example and should not beconstrued as limiting. Alternatively, the glass panel units 10 may alsohave a circular, polygonal, or any other desired shape. That is to say,the first glass panel 20, the second glass panel 30, and the framemember 40 do not have to be rectangular but may also have a circular,polygonal, or any other desired shape. In addition, the respectiveshapes of the first glass substrate 200, the second glass substrate 300,the peripheral wall 410, the partitions 420, and the reinforcing walls430 do not have to be the ones used in the embodiment described above,but may also be any other shapes that allow glass panel units 10 of adesired shape to be obtained. Note that the shape and dimensions of theglass panel units 10 may be determined according to the intended use ofthe glass panel units 10.

The pair of glass panels 20, 30 does not have to have the same planarshape and planar dimensions and does not have to have the samethickness, either. In addition, the pair of glass panels 20, 30 does nothave to be made of the same material, either. The same statement appliesto the pair of glass substrates 200, 300 as well.

The frame member 40 does not have to have the same planar shape as thepair of glass panels 20, 30. Likewise, the peripheral wall 41, 410 doesnot have to have the same planar shape as the pair of glass substrates200, 300, either.

The first sealant of the peripheral wall 410 (peripheral wall 41) andthe second sealant of the partitions 420 a-420 p (boundary walls 42 a-42h) do not need to include the same core material but may includemutually different core materials. Furthermore, the first sealant mayconsist essentially of a hot glue. Likewise, the second sealant may alsoconsist essentially of a hot glue.

The partitions 420 a-420 p are not necessarily lower in height than theperipheral wall 410. Alternatively, the height of the partitions 420a-420 p may be equal to or greater than, or equal to or less than, theheight of the peripheral wall 410 (i.e., the height of the first tofourth sides 410 a-410 d thereof).

Also, in the assembly 100, the peripheral wall 410 is just providedbetween the pair of glass substrates 200, 300 and does not bond the pairof glass substrates 200, 300 together. Optionally, however, in theassembly 100 stage, the peripheral wall 410 may bond the pair of glasssubstrates 200, 300 together. In short, in the assembly 100, theperipheral wall 410 needs to be provided between the pair of glasssubstrates 200, 300 and does not have to bond the pair of glasssubstrates 200, 300 together.

In the embodiment described above, the one or more second air passages621, 622 include a particular air passage 622 which is larger than anyof the one or more first air passages 611, 612. Alternatively, thedimension of each of the one or more second air passages 621, 622 may beequal to or greater than, or equal to or less than, that of any of theone or more first air passages 611, 612. That is to say, the particularair passage 622 is not an essential constituent element. In addition, inthe embodiment described above, the partition 420 p separates the secondspaces 520 a, 520 b from each other. However, the partition 420 p doesnot have to separate the second spaces 520 a. 520 b from each other. Inshort, the coupling space (second space 520 b) is not an essentialconstituent element. Rather at least the evacuation spaces (first spaces510 a-510 g) and the ventilation space (second space 520 a) need to beprovided.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the air passages 600 arethe gaps between the partitions 420 a-420 p and the gaps between thepartitions 420 a-420 p and the peripheral wall 410. However, this isonly an example and should not be construed as limiting. Alternatively,the air passages 600 may also be through holes cut through thepartitions 420 a-420 p. Still alternatively, the air passages 600 mayalso be gaps left between the partitions 420 a-420 p and the first glasssubstrate 200.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the internal space 500is partitioned into the plurality of first spaces 510 a-510 g and theplurality of second spaces 520 a, 520 b. However, the internal space 500may be partitioned by the partitions into one or more first spaces andone or more second spaces.

In the embodiment described above, a melting furnace is used to heat theperipheral wall 410, the gas adsorbents 60, and the partitions 420 a-420p. However, heating may be conducted by any appropriate heating means.The heating means may be a laser beam or a heat exchanger plateconnected to a heat source, for example.

In the embodiment described above, the assembly 100 includes a pluralityof air passages 600. However, the number of the air passages 600provided may be one or more. The shape of the air passages 600 is notparticularly limited.

In the embodiment described above, the evacuation port 700 is cutthrough the second glass substrate 300. However, this is only an exampleand should not be construed as limiting. Alternatively, the evacuationport 700 may be cut through the first glass substrate 200 or may also becut through the peripheral wall 410 (peripheral wall 41). In short, theevacuation port 700 just needs to be provided to connect the secondspaces 520 a, 520 b to the external environment.

Furthermore, the getter of the gas adsorbents 60 is an evaporativegetter in the embodiment described above. Alternatively, the getter mayalso be a non-evaporative getter.

In the embodiment described above, the gas adsorbents 60 have anelongate flat plate shape. However, the gas adsorbents 60 may also haveany other shape. In addition, the gas adsorbents 60 do not have to belocated at an end of the vacuum space 50. Furthermore, in the embodimentdescribed above, the gas adsorbents 60 are formed by applying a liquidincluding a powder of a getter (such as a dispersion liquid obtained bydispersing the powder of the getter in a liquid or a solution obtainedby dissolving the powder of the getter in a liquid). However, this isonly an example and should not be construed as limiting. Alternatively,the gas adsorbents 60 may include a substrate and a getter adhered tothe substrate. Such gas adsorbents 60 may be obtained by immersing thesubstrate in a liquid including a powder of the getter and drying thesubstrate. Note that the substrate may have any desired shape and mayhave an elongate rectangular shape, for example. Still alternatively,the gas adsorbents 60 may also be a film formed to cover the surface ofthe second glass substrate 300 either entirely or only partially. Suchgas adsorbents 60 may be obtained by coating the surface of the secondglass substrate 300 with a liquid including a powder of the getter. Yetalternatively, the gas adsorbents 60 may be included in the pillars 70.The pillars 70 including the gas adsorbents 60 may be obtained by makingthe pillars 70 of a material containing the getter. Alternatively, thegas adsorbents 60 may even be a solid matter made of the getter.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the plurality of spacers70 are arranged over the entire internal space 500 (i.e., in each of thefirst spaces 510 a-510 g and the second spaces 520 a, 520 b). However,the pillars 70 do not have to be arranged in the second spaces 520 a,520 b. Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, each glass panelunit 10 includes a plurality of pillars 70. Alternatively, each glasspanel unit 10 may include a single pillar 70. Still alternatively, theglass panel unit 10 may include no pillars 70 at all.

In the embodiment described above, the first spaces (510 a-510 g) arevacuum spaces (50 a-50 g). However, the vacuum spaces (50 a-50 g) may bereplaced with pressure reduced spaces. As used herein, the “pressurereduced spaces” refer to the first spaces (510 a-510 g) with a reducedpressure. The pressure reduced condition may be a condition in which thepressure is lower than the atmospheric pressure.

3. Aspects

As can be seen from the foregoing description of the exemplaryembodiment and its variations, the present disclosure has the followingaspects. In the following description, reference signs are added inparentheses to the respective constituent elements solely for thepurpose of clarifying the correspondence between those aspects of thepresent disclosure and the exemplary embodiment described above.

A glass panel unit assembly (100) according to a first aspect includes apair of glass substrates (200, 300) arranged to face each other, aperipheral wall (410), a partition (420 a-420 p), an air passage (600),and an evacuation port (700). The peripheral wall (410) is disposedbetween the pair of glass substrates (200, 300). The peripheral wall(410) has a frame shape. The partition (420 a-420 p) partitions aninternal space (500), surrounded with the pair of glass substrates (200,300) and the peripheral wall (410), into a first space (510 a-510 g) anda second space (520 a, 520 b). The air passage (600) connects the firstspace (510 a-510 g) and the second space (520 a, 520 b) together. Theevacuation port (700) connects the second space (520 a, 520 b) to anexternal environment. The partition (420 a-420 p) has a broader widththan the peripheral wall (410). The first aspect contributes toincreasing the production yield.

A glass panel unit assembly (100) according to a second aspect may beimplemented in combination with the first aspect. In the second aspect,the partition (420 a-420 p) is lower in height than the peripheral wall(410). The second aspect contributes to increasing the production yield.

A glass panel unit assembly (100) according to a third aspect may beimplemented in combination with the first or second aspect. In the thirdaspect, the partition (420 a-420 p) and the peripheral wall (410) havethe same softening point. The third aspect contributes to increasing theproduction yield.

A glass panel unit assembly (100) according to a fourth aspect may beimplemented in combination with the third aspect. In the fourth aspect,a material for the partition (420 a-420 p) and a material for theperipheral wall (410) are the same. The fourth aspect contributes toincreasing the production yield.

A glass panel unit assembly (100) according to a fifth aspect may beimplemented in combination with any one of the second to fourth aspects.In the fifth aspect, the same core material is dispersed in the materialfor the partition (420 a-420 p) and the material for the peripheral wall(410). The fifth aspect contributes to increasing the production yield.

A method for manufacturing a glass panel unit according to a sixthaspect includes an assembling step, an evacuation step, and a sealingstep. The assembling step includes providing the glass panel unitassembly (100) according to any one of the first to fifth aspects. Theevacuation step includes evacuating the first space (510 a-510 g)through the air passage (600), the second space (520 a, 520 b), and theevacuation port (700). The sealing step includes deforming the partition(420 a-420 p) to close the air passage (600) and thereby form a boundarywall (42 a-42 h) that hermetically separates the internal space (500)into the first space (510 a-510 g) and the second space (520 a, 520 b).The sixth aspect contributes to increasing the production yield.

A method for manufacturing a glass panel unit according to a seventhaspect may be implemented in combination with the sixth aspect. In theseventh aspect, the partition (420 a-420 p) is formed such that theboundary wall (42 a-42 h) is going to have a broader width than theperipheral wall (410) that has gone through the sealing step. Theseventh aspect contributes to increasing the production yield.

A method for manufacturing a glass panel unit according to an eighthaspect may be implemented in combination with the sixth or seventhaspect. In the eighth aspect, the assembling step includes a peripheralwall forming step and a partition forming step. The peripheral wallforming step is the step of forming the peripheral wall (410) byapplying a material (411) for the peripheral wall (410) onto one of thepair of glass substrates (200, 300). The partition forming step is thestep of forming the partition (420 a-420 p) by applying a material (421)for the partition (420 a-420 p) onto one of the pair of glass substrates(200, 300). The number of times of applying the material (421) for thepartition (420 a-420 p) so that the materials for the partition (420a-420 p) are adjacent to one another in a direction defining the widthof the partition (420 a-420 p) is greater than the number of times ofapplying the material (411) for the peripheral wall (410) so that thematerials for the peripheral wall (410) are adjacent in a directiondefining the width of the peripheral wall (410). The eighth aspectfacilitates adjustment of the width of the partition.

A method for manufacturing a glass panel unit according to a ninthaspect may be implemented in combination with the eighth aspect. In theninth aspect, an interval between adjacent application lines of thematerial for the partition (420 a-420 p) is set such that surfaces ofthe adjacent application lines of the material for the partition areconnected together to be level with each other. The ninth aspectfacilitates adjustment of the width of the partition.

A method for manufacturing a glass panel unit according to a tenthaspect may be implemented in combination with any one of the sixth toninth aspects. In the tenth aspect, the method further includes aremoving step. The removing step is the step of removing a part (11A,11B) including the second space (520 a, 520 b) to obtain a glass panelunit (10A-10G) as a part including the first space (510 a-510 g). Thetenth aspect contributes to increasing the production yield.

A method for manufacturing a glass panel unit according to an eleventhaspect may be implemented in combination with the tenth aspect. In theeleventh aspect, the removing step includes removing the part (11A, 11B)including the second space (520 a, 520 b) by cutting off the pair ofglass substrates (200, 300) along a centerline of the boundary wall (42a-42 h). The eleventh aspect contributes to increasing the productionyield.

A work in progress (110) of a glass panel unit according to a twelfthaspect includes: a pair of glass substrates (200, 300) arranged to faceeach other; a peripheral wall (41); and a boundary wall (42 a-42 h). Theperipheral wall (41) is disposed between the pair of glass substrates(20, 30). The peripheral wall (41) has a frame shape. The boundary wall(42 a-42 h) hermetically separates an internal space (500), surroundedwith the pair of glass substrates (200, 300) and the peripheral wall(41), into a first space (510 a-510 g) and a second space (520 a, 520b). The boundary wall (42 a-42 h) has a broader width than theperipheral wall (41). The twelfth aspect contributes to increasing theproduction yield.

A glass panel unit (10, 10A-10G) according to a thirteenth aspectincludes: a pair of glass panels (20, 30) arranged to face each other;and a frame member (40) disposed between the pair of glass panels (20,30) to hermetically bond the pair of glass panels (20, 30) together. Theframe member (40) includes a first part (40 a) having a raised outerside surface and a second part (40 b) having a flat outer side surface.The first part (40 a) and the second part (40 b) have an equal width.The thirteenth aspect contributes to increasing the production yield.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

-   -   100 Glass Panel Unit Assembly    -   110 Work in Progress of Glass Panel Units    -   200, 300 Glass Substrate    -   410 Peripheral Wall    -   420 a-420 p Partition    -   42 a-42 h Boundary Wall    -   500 Internal Space    -   510 a-510 g First Space    -   520 a. 520 b Second Space    -   600 Air Passage    -   700 Evacuation Port    -   10, 10A-10G Glass Panel Unit    -   11A, 11B Part    -   20, 30 Glass Panel    -   40 Frame Member    -   40 a First Part    -   40 b Second Part

1. A glass panel unit assembly comprising: a pair of glass substratesarranged to face each other; a peripheral wall having a frame shape anddisposed between the pair of glass substrates; a partition provided topartition an internal space, surrounded with the pair of glasssubstrates and the peripheral wall, into a first space and a secondspace; an air passage connecting the first space and the second spacetogether; and an evacuation port connecting the second space to anexternal environment, the partition having a broader width than theperipheral wall.
 2. The glass panel unit assembly of claim 1, whereinthe partition is lower in height than the peripheral wall.
 3. The glasspanel unit assembly of claim 1, wherein the partition and the peripheralwall have the same softening point.
 4. The glass panel unit assembly ofclaim 3, wherein a material for the partition and a material for theperipheral wall are the same.
 5. The glass panel unit assembly of claim2, wherein the same core material is dispersed in the material for thepartition and the material for the peripheral wall.
 6. A method formanufacturing a glass panel unit, the method comprising an assemblingstep, an evacuation step, and a sealing step, the assembling stepincluding providing the glass panel unit assembly according to claim 1,the evacuation step including evacuating the first space through the airpassage, the second space, and the evacuation port, the sealing stepincluding deforming the partition to close the air passage and therebyform a boundary wall that hermetically separates the internal space intothe first space and the second space.
 7. The method of claim 6, whereinthe partition is formed such that the boundary wall is going to have abroader width than the peripheral wall that has gone through the sealingstep.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the assembling step includes: aperipheral wall forming step of forming the peripheral wall by applyinga material for the peripheral wall onto one of the pair of glasssubstrates; and a partition forming step of forming the partition byapplying a material for the partition onto one of the pair of glasssubstrates, and the number of times of applying the material for thepartition so that the materials for the partition are adjacent to oneanother in a direction defining the width of the partition is greaterthan the number of times of applying the material for the peripheralwall so that the materials for the peripheral wall are adjacent to oneanother in a direction defining the width of the peripheral wall.
 9. Themethod of claim 8, wherein an interval between adjacent applicationlines of the material for the partition is set such that surfaces of theadjacent application lines of the material for the partition areconnected together to be level with each other.
 10. The method of claim6, further comprising a removing step, wherein the removing stepincludes removing a part including the second space to obtain a glasspanel unit as a part including the first space.
 11. The method of claim10, wherein the removing step includes removing the part including thesecond space by cutting off the pair of glass substrates along acenterline of the boundary wall.
 12. A work in progress of a glass panelunit, comprising a pair of glass substrates arranged to face each other;a peripheral wall having a frame shape and disposed between the pair ofglass substrates; and a boundary wall provided to hermetically separatean internal space, surrounded with the pair of glass substrates and theperipheral wall, into a first space and a second space; the boundarywall having a broader width than the peripheral wall.
 13. A glass panelunit comprising: a pair of glass panels arranged to face each other; anda frame member disposed between the pair of glass panels to hermeticallybond the pair of glass panels together, the frame member including: afirst part having a raised outer side surface and a second part having aflat outer side surface, the first part and the second part having anequal width.